HungryGoWhere is Back After Grab Bought It from Singtel

If there’s an urban dictionary example for a first-world problem, it would definitely be decision fatigue.

Too many options, too many choices, and sometimes it’s an endless battle “what should I eat” and the inevitable snarky answer you receive, to yourself (loudly), is simply, “Food”.

Fortunately for all of us, HungryGoWhere is finally back to help ease the decision-making.

Brief Retelling of HungryGoWhere’s Roots

As most of you might be aware, HungryGoWhere was created by Mr Wong Hoong An, Mr Dennis Goh, and Mr Tan Yung Yih in 2006.

It slowly gained popularity as a food review site before it expanded to offering restaurant reservations, dining deals and rewards, articles on food and drinks.

In May 2012, its parent company GTW Holdings was acquired by the telecommunication company Singtel, which had been a worthy investment because Singtel managed to double its page views to 8.2 million two years into the new business venture.

HungryGoWhere was merged into Singtel’s lifestyle and search site inSing.com, and boasted the “largest food and lifestyle audience”, with approximately 2 million customers.

However, HungryGoWhere collapsed and ceased its operations on 11 July 2021 because of the “severe challenges” faced by the various industries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grab Singapore’s Acquisition of HungryGoWhere

Although Grab Singapore has officially acquired HungryGowhere, it will continue to retain its name and iconic red hue, with no physical rebranding necessary.

It’s fortunate that HungryGoWhere’s logo is a H encircled by a question mark, and not at all associated to war symbols, because we don’t need a repeat of the ComfortDelGro’s Zip application problem, thanks.

In a media release issued on Wednesday (15 June), Grab declared that it will remain as a separate platform from the Grab application, and will primarily focus on reviews and recommendations, and bringing up-and-coming personalities and origins of popular foods into the spotlight.

Grab fully recognises HungryGoWhere’s potential as a platform for businesses to increase their visibility, and is aware that it is the “go-to source” for diners seeking new options in the F&B industry.

Mr Cifer Ong, the managing director of strategy and partnerships at Grab Singapore told Channel News Asia that HungryGoWhere is a brand that many Singaporeans are fond of, ever since its creation a decade ago, and it has been sorely missed by the masses.

As such, Grab feels “privileged and excited” that they are able to bring back its long-standing legacy, and believe that they will be able to take it to the next level.

For HungryGoWhere, it stands to benefit from the superapp data that Grab aggregates, like the popular food trends and frequently visited locations in Singapore.

It will aid HungryGoWhere in the curation of its content.

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What Goes and What Stays

However, the new HungryGoWhere under Grab will not retain all its old functions.

Firstly, while Grab has acquired HungryGoWhere’s social media platforms and website, it has no intention to revive its portal on inSing.com.

In light of the fact that the pandemic has drastically changed the dining scene—what’s with restaurants closing and dropping like flies—some old content will be archived if they prove to hold some relevance, or the curating team feel that the readers will find the content interesting.

The editorial team will be led by Kenneth Cheng, a news editor who previously worked for TODAY.

They will strive to provide a wide range of F&B, lifestyle, and new content to its users.

Additionally, Grab plans to introduce new concepts like an interview series called 20 Questions, as well as “From Scratch”, which is a series that explores the origins of popular foods and the stories behind them.

These articles will be featured on the Grab app and on Grab’s marketing channels to reach a larger audience.

With regards to the reservation and booking services on HungryGoWhere, they will not be revived.

The old user-generated reviews will not be brought back either.

The direction that Grab is taking HungryGoWhere is quite clear, where it keeps its most basic and core function of recommendation and exposure, while removing the other functions that HungryGoWhere gradually took on years later.

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Featured Image: HungryGoWhere